Siyum of Maseches SotahThe beloved international Daf Yomi program reached another milestone with the Siyum of Meseches Sotah. The celebration was held at K’hal and Kollel Ner Hamizrach in Atlanta, GA and broadcast to more than a thousand people via live streaming and individual celebrations in dozens of cities. The guest speaker was the prominent Maggid Shiur Rabbi Eli Mansour, Rav, Congregation Ohel Yaacob, Brooklyn, NY. The event was organized, sponsored and broadcast by the Daf Yomi Commission of Agudath Israel of America.

“We are grateful to Agudath Israel for coordinating this magnificent event,” said Rabbi Shmuel Khoshkerman, Rav of Ner Hamizrach, “and for all the many ways that the Agudah helps Klal Yisrael.” Rabbi Dovid Kapenstein, Executive Director of KNH, concluded the Masechta by reciting the Hadran. Rabbi Eliezer Cohen, Rosh Kollel, stressed the importance of consistency in one’s daily learning. “Daf Yomi created a regimen for a person to ensure that each day he is connected to Torah learning,” he noted.

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Rabbi Mansour delivered the keynote address. He spoke about appreciating the value in our sacred Torah, even while the nations of the world try to influence us to disregard it.  He quoted the verse in Tehillim, “מאויבי תחכמני, from my enemies I have become wise.” The Chasam Sofer relates that when the Jews entered the Beit HaMikdash they were presented with a dilemma. Could they use the jugs of oil found with their seals intact?  On the one hand, the Kohanim knew that Tuma Hutra B’tzibur, it was permissible according to the Torah to use oil that was impure if the majority of Jews were also impure.  On the other hand, they also knew of the rabbinical enactment that a jug of oil moved by a heathen is impure.

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“They had a quandary,” Rabbi Mansour explained, “should we not light the menorah and adhere to the rabbinical prohibition, or should we rather use the oil and fulfill a Torah commandment”. The Chasam Sofer explains that this is why Hashem revealed to them the one jug of oil that had not been moved by the Greeks.  “The rabbinical prohibition was so precious to Hashem that He helped the Kohanim locate the jug that had not been rabbinically tainted and thus, could still be used for the menorah.” He concluded, “that it is essential for us to constantly remind ourselves that we must look to our Rabbinical leadership for direction in every aspect of our lives.”

Rabbi Eliyahu Simcha Bamberger, Coordinator, Daf Yomi Commission who attended the Siyum on behalf of Agudath Israel of America said “the excitement of finishing yet another Masechta on the journey to the 13th Siyum HaShas was palpable. There was a true Simchas HaTorah, we thank Agudath Israel of Georgia for all its efforts in organizing and making this Siyum a reality.”

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